Wallan gets its heart

The exciting transformation of Wallan’s town heart is taking shape, with a number of key elements finished or almost complete and the project on track to be finalised over the coming months.

The North Central Review was taken on a tour of the $4.1 million Wallan Town Heart revitalisation that began in February.

The High Street worksite was busy and the transformation of the precinct into more connected community space was becoming evident.

Works have been powering ahead in recent weeks, with the new service road entry now complete and improvements outside the High Street shops in full swing.

With the service road near the plaza finished, works on the new town square will soon begin including paving, seating, landscaping and lighting.

As part of the works, a new service lane entry will be constructed just north of the Watson Street intersection on the Northern Highway. This will result in a tree from the Avenue of Honour needing to be removed. However, several new trees will be planted to restore the Avenue of Honour to its original number of 53 in recognition of local servicemen and servicewomen.

Works around the Free Library and War Memorial area are also nearly complete, with the important Circle of Remembrance to be finished in the coming weeks. Bluestone paving and lighting to give effect to this space is expected to be installed shortly too.

Meanwhile, works on the new signalised pedestrian crossing are expected to begin over the next month. Other works already completed include 24 new car parks in Bentinck Street, near the Adventure Playground.

Mitchell Shire Mayor Rhonda Sanderson said it was exciting to see the project progressing.

“It’s always fantastic to see plans for major projects like this, but it’s not until you can begin to see it taking shape that you fully appreciate just how exciting this revitalisation is going to be,” Cr Sanderson said.

“It won’t be long until our community has a new, vibrant and more connected space to shop, socialise and get involved with their community.

“This revitalisation is going to create so many opportunities for our community – there will be new public spaces to gather, it will draw businesses to the area and create jobs, and it will give our community yet another reason to be proud of where they live.”

Cr Sanderson thanked the community and the High Street traders for their patience while the works are completed.

“It’s really important to remember that, although there is a lot of construction work happening in the area at the moment, the local High Street businesses are still open for business,” Cr Sanderson said.

“There is still pedestrian access to these shops and there are plenty of parking options around town and I’d encourage our community to continue to support these businesses and shop locally.”